BMW's new X6 is painted in the darkest black in the world.
The BMW X6 Vantablack is the result of a collaboration between BMW and Surrey NanoSystems, the inventors of the Vantablack technology, the darkest man-made substance in the world.
All but 0.035 per cent of light that strikes the substance is completely absorbed rather than reflected, and effectively converted into heat.
The first generation of Vantablack was introduced by the English firm in 2014 and was originally developed for coating space-borne components. The BMW X6 is the first car to have the second generation of the ultra dark coating applied, known as VBX2, and the one-off model will be displayed at this month’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
A surface coated in Vantablack VBX2 loses its defining features to the human eye, with objects appearing 2D. This can be interpreted by the brain as staring into a hole or even a void, making Vantablack a rather unsuitable vehicle paint finish, as it blots out virtually all the design details and highlights.
But if you do find yourself behind the wheel of a VBX2 coated vehicle in the future, do not forget to turn on your headlights.
